This question presents a major dilemma if we accept the theological conception of right and wrong.

Say we are to take the former option of Socrates question and assume that the right conduct is right because God commands it. For example, God commands that truthfulness is right. According to this, the only reason to be truthful is that God requires it of us. Aside from God’s divine command, truthfulness is neither right nor wrong. God’s command justifies and dictates that truthfulness is right.

Taking this view leads us straight for trouble though; it designates God’s commands as arbitrary. God could have, on a different day, given entirely different commands. Had God commanded us to be liars and never tell the truth, then lying would be right and

From a religious standpoint, a person must either accept that God’s commands are arbitrary and also admit that the doctrine of the goodness of God is meaningless or he must abandon the theological conception of right and wrong and admit that a standard of right and wrong exists separate from God’s will. From a religious point of view, it is entirely unacceptable to regard God’s commands as arbitrary or to accept that the doctrine of the goodness of God is meaningless. Therefore, one must accept that right and wrong exist separately and independently of God’s will and give up the theological conception of right and wrong.

Some topics in this essay:
God’s Killings, Aside God’s, Command Theory, Assuming God, Saying God’s, , Thomas Aquinas, god commands, conception wrong, theological conception wrong, theological conception, god’s commands, commands arbitrary, god’s commands arbitrary, doctrine goodness god, goodness god, doctrine goodness, divine command, god commanded, god meaningless, goodness god meaningless, Natural Law, Divine Command, conduct god commands,